Let’s try something new shall we? I got this idea after spending a weekend with my wife’s family. The Andersons are great group of folks who I enjoy spending time with, however, they are about as politically divided a family as I have ever seen. This is not just your standard “this is my view, this is your view lets have a drink and discuss it” type of family. Politics are a sport and are argued as vehemently as two teams fighting like the score is tied with 30 seconds to go in the championship game. Based on my wife’s request, I try to stay out of the circle of engagement, but every now and then I am drawn into an argument. My party affiliation is no secret as I am a registered independent, but my viewpoints are anything but neutral. I am, as my brother-in-law has labeled me, “a right-wing-nut-job”. I am devoutly conservative with my ideals and hence am a target for the “left-wing-kooks”. More times than not, I am challenged to defend the actions of my party affiliations or my ideologies. This has grown tiresome, as my arguments are often dismissed by the those who do not like to hear what I have say or are interrupted prior to my conclusions, so I am going to make an offer of unusual stature.

I do not believe the Republican party has the answer to every problem, nor do I always agree with they way they handle situations, however, I almost always find myself in disagreement with the Democrats and their ideology. Above all, I am searching for what I believe is best for AMERICA. I do not care about political affiliations, but I believe in upholding the ideals of our Founding Fathers and the integrity of the Red, White, and Blue. I do not believe I can effectively call myself a supporter of Americanism if I do not listen to both sides of the argument, likewise, I do not give much weight to an someone’s opinion who does not let me finish a statement without interjecting, arguing, or being otherwise “closed-minded”.

So here is the golden opportunity the Left Wing has been waiting for. I agree to listen to your arguments and give you a chance to convince me that the liberal ideology of the Democratic Party is better for America. Be prepared, because I will ask questions as to why along with a request for supporting data in most cases to ensure clarification. The beauty of doing this in writing is the simple fact that points can be made without allowing emotional interruption to occur. If I am convinced following the discussions that the Democratic Agenda is of betterment for the US, I will then support it. I will list the issues where I draw challenge and invite comment to help clarify my understanding.

At the end, you will have either convinced me to join you or solidly cemented my thoughts of conservatism. This is not an opportunity for you to tell me about what you do not like about the Republicans but to explain your own positions. Here are my points of contention with the Liberal Ideology.

1. Gun Control: How does the Democratic Party portray increased gun control as a benefit to me? As a gun dealer and a gun owner, I have seen the Democratic Party continue to demonize the legal gun owners of America with half-truths and doomsday projections (see Sarah Brady comments on the expiration of the 1994 AWB). How does this proclaimed goal of eliminating private ownership of firearms as well as the destruction of the 2nd Amendment advance society to the betterment of the United States?

2. Taxes: How do higher taxes make things better on me? It appears to me as a taxpayer who works at one job and who runs his own business, that the Democratic Party is bent on taxing me at every turn. Here in Washington State, I am continually tapped for B&O taxes, Sales Taxes, Surcharge Taxes, use taxes, phone taxes, utility taxes, car taxes, registration taxes, gas taxes, death taxes, property taxes, taxes, taxes, taxes, taxes. It seems to me when it comes time to increase taxes, the democratic party is in the lead saying things like “This is only a few dollars a year for the average person”or “the death tax is way of repaying society for the good life you have lead”(Please see comments by Gov. Christine Gregoire), but when an opportunity arises to cut taxes there are screams of bloody-murder followed by news reports of government collapsing without this revenue. I already work the first 112 days of the year just to pay my tax responsibility. How much more is needed and how does such a tax burden help advance society and America?

3. Same Sex marriage. I am against same sex marriage. I do not believe it is a proper or natural behavior furthermore, after actually investigating the medical information on it, I do not believe it is a healthy lifestyle. According to the CDC in 2003, the homosexual lifestyle reduces the average participant lifespan by 25 years or more. I will not support legislation to govern what goes on in one’s bedroom between consenting adults, but I am strongly against the government “endorsing” such behavior. From my perspective, I have seen the Political parties clearly divided. Republicans are against and Democrats are for. How does the Democratic perspective benefit society and how does it benefit America?

4. The use of military force in Iraq. This is a major area for guys like me. I believe in the strong use of military for the protection of the United States of America. I also believe the occupation of IRAQ was necessary for national security both in dethroning a violent dictator who has stood in violation of the UN and his own surrender agreement as well as removing a destablizing catalyst for the entire region. I believe Saddam Hussein was a major source on Middle East instability and by introducing freedom into Iraq, we will have unleashed the one weapon that has destroyed more dictators and oppressive empires through out history, the desire of the people for liberty. I believe Saddam had weapons of mass destruction (as proven by his use of gas on the Kurds) and I believe he would have used his considerable wealth and unlimited resources to obtain more for use against the United States. Assurances otherwise combined with a blatant disregard for UN mandate rang hollow. Furthermore, I believe the US acted within compliance of UN resolution 1447 (as well as 13 previous resolutions and the Iraqi surrender agreement) in occupying Iraq. I believe failure to act upon these resolutions would have led to the complete discrediting of the United Nations as was proven by the League of Nations in its failure to hold Germany accountable to surrender agreement of WWI and prior to World War II. How does the Democratic ideal of allowing these types of criminals to remain in power benefit America, furthermore, how does subscribing to UN mandate without enforcing it benefit America?

5. The use of God? I am a Christian, however, I do not believe in forcing my religion upon anyone. I believe everyone is given freewill and am not willing to condemn anyone for exercising it, however, I believe in order to preserve the integrity of the United States and the Constitution, we must endorse the belief in a higher being. The constitution clearly states “God Given Rights”. This is not an endorsement of government religion, but it is a statement which claims the law of man cannot take away such rights. Everywhere I look, there seems to be a movement to remove any reference to God either in the pledge of allegiance, the schools, and even from the face of history. I have seen a swing against such religion from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. How does removing references to God from our lives promote the betterment of America and how does the rewriting of history to exclude God better America? (i.e. please see the new definitions for B.C. and A.D. It is no longer Before Christ and After Death).

6. Abortion. This is another loaded issue full of differences in opinions, which seems to split party lines very clearly. I do not support abortion, likewise, I am not in favor of more goverment control over daily lives and am willing to concede this as a right of the individual in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger. I am not supportive of abortion as a form of birth control, especially in the form of late term abortion. It seems the Democrats have continually fought against any kind of ban this practice. How does late term abortion benefit society and advance America?

This is not meant to be a slam, but rather a chance to address my viewpoints in a logical manner. I welcome comments and look forward to hearing from different perspectives. I am providing this as an opportunity to convince me on fact that my perspective is wrong. I am being open-minded and am willing to listen. If nothing else, perhaps we can learn a little more about each other’s perspectives and concerns.

Author Resource:- Kelsey Hilderbrand is an avid shooter, hunter, collector, outdoor writer, and founder of High Mountain Hunting Supply.

Rev Patrick Mahoney is a man of principle and courage. On a beautiful spring day in our nations capital he set out to pray for women seeking to end their pregnancies and their soon to die offspring. By simply kneeling on the sidewalk outside a Planned Parenthood abortion mill, he found himself arrested, handcuffed and driven off in the back of a District of Columbia police car.

Showing the power of political connections, the organization claimed the outdoors portion of the property to be part of the indoor section… and the city attorney went along with their scheme. Of course Planned Parenthood did not like Rev. Mahoney and his compatriots letting women know what was really going on inside the building and inside their bodies. There were too many dollars at stake. Besides killing babies is a woman’s right.

The thing that makes this event so notable is that he knew this would be the result… and he did it anyway. Many of us will cheer on a courageous patriot who will stand up, not only to the police but the legal system as well. Then, use the legal system to take back the ground we are losing every day. The complete story is covered in Christian News Wire.

We say, “Hooray for Patrick Mahoney!” We say we will pray for him and his work. Some of us will actually do it. But how many of us will put our freedom and dignity on the line and kneel next to the man in the forbidden space? While it is true that one man on the side of God is a majority, it is also true that there is also power in numbers. Never before has our government been so hostile to the traditional Christian values on which our country was founded. Never before have we need to stand our ground… whether it is supporting the unborn, standing up for traditional marriage, protecting our second amendment rights or any of a number of issues considered outdated by our progressive masters.

We can be led quietly to the slaughter… not just us, but the many we will not reach… if they are permitted to succeed. Rev. Mahoney explained the effectiveness of the American Center for Law and Justice in fighting the good (legal) fight. I have worked with them myself and can attest to the quality and tenacity of their attorneys. Having the ACLJ in your corner may be just confidence builder you need to take the stand against the powers of darkness. Whether the ACLJ or Rutherford Institute is by your side, it’s important to remember that wjen you are doing the Lord’s work, you are never alone.

Good job Rev. Mahoney! God bless you!

My shepherds have abandoned their flocks.

You are my shepherds. You are responsible for the protection of the lambs. How has the fox entered into the fields? You were asleep? The Word was left for your guidance and to proclaim the laws for the Fathers children. Do you not see and understand the meaning of the Word? Nations have been lost. Multitudes of the Fathers children have not survived. Darkness covers the earth. The Fathers children have been deceived and are now asleep. You are to awaken them.

The Churches have been silent. Your silence is approval of injustice. You were told to love one another. To love is to correct. The good father that fails to correct his child, loses that child forever. Silence has destroyed the families. Silence has allowed the murder of millions of the Fathers children. Silence is approval. Love,or correction, demands that any injustice be corrected immediately. Every wrong word must be corrected. Forgiveness is for your benefit. Forgiveness prevents you from judging and therefor saves you from resentment. Resentment separates you from the Father. Your forgiveness does not excuse the sinner. Forgiveness is for your benefit. Only the Father can forgive sin.

You the shepherds must be strong before the mighty. Noble before the weak. You must train your flock to recognize good from evil. There is only right or wrong. No other path exists except in the deceived mind of man. Do not listen to the deceiver who seeks power over you. You have been told to be in the world, not of this world. One can look upon the raging sea and understand it’s power without jumping into it. If you seek approval of man over the Father, can you be his shepherds? Be not afraid for the Father is with you, if you are with him. Return children to their father and fathers to their faith in the Father, not in man. Teach the fathers that only faith and patience will save them and their families. The family cannot be saved unless the fathers are first returned to faith. Shepherds, follow these words and the Kingdom will soon be upon you. Discipline, not license, is the law.

You must unite all your congregations in a single purpose, to bring forth the Kingdom. The Father, is the Father in any language. Put aside your differences, for only united can you overthrow the corrupt. Remove all blight from the chosen lands of the Father. Cleanse first from the inside. Inside the deceived minds of the faithful. Open their minds with truth. Did not the Son tell you that the truth shall set you free? You do not understand the power given you by the Father. Power comes from unity of purpose and action. No force on this earth will be able to oppose you if you are united in truth and not afraid.

The Kingdom will be upon you when you heed these words. Poverty is a creation of man, not the Father. Disease is caused by sin. Crime is a purposeful tool of the enemy of the Father and righteous men. The earth was created with an abundance of wealth for all the Fathers children. Every one of the faithful can live as Kings. Understand the power you hold and use it wisely. The enemy of the Father and men understands your potential power. That is why you are feared. That is why those that serve the darkness want your silence. Speak out, oppose all injustice, and free the faithful members of the Fathers flock. Be not afraid for He is with you, if you are with Him..

Church leaders and elders, let these words cause you to pause and reflect. Have you followed the teachings of Jesus Christ in your relationship with your congregation? Have you corrected them? Have you shown them the way they have to live, if they want to be with the Father? Do members of your Church divorce and separate father from son and daughter? Do members of your Church have or condone abortions? Have you trained the young of your flock in the responsibilities of marriage? Do the women of your Church understand their duty to their husbands? Do the husbands understand that their role as the head of the family is to set an example and lead their family in faith? Do they know the real meaning of love? Do they realize that no family can serve the Father, unless the head of the family is himself faithful? Do you members of your congregation empower dishonorable, Godless leaders?

Those are tough questions. The answers are obvious. When the divorce rate is 50% of all marriages and when 1,300,000.00 innocent children of the Father are killed every year in the United States alone, His shepherds are not watching over their flock. The fox is stealing the sheep.

What can you do to correct these conditions? The enormous problems facing our country today are not only the responsibility of the Church, but every single person who calls themselves a Christian. It is now time to live up to He who’s name we claim to follow and live our lives correctly. It is time to love and correct, our neighbors, our children, also ourselves. There are over 224  million people in the United States who claim to be a Christian. Christians cannot allow injustice to continue. They must follow Jesus Christ, who said; “We must let our light be shown”.

In His Service

Rev Maxwell Diener

This article was orginally published by Rev Diener in http://uniteforchrist.org.

The specifics of the study are not as important as the fact that academic rejection of the results was as predictable as Barack Hussein Obama’s use of duel teleprompters. Instead of hailing the study as something promising in the battle against teen pregnancy and STDs, the reaction showed the kneejerk reaction of the entrenched secularists as they sought to discredit both the study and its conclusions. We have seen this behavior before… many times.

Instead of using science as the path the truth, it is being used like a drunk clinging to a lamp post… more for support than illumination. This is the very same intellectual dishonesty they continually accuse those who are foolish enough to actually believe the principles of the Bible. We should be used to this by now… science eventually confirming the words of the same creator that endowed us with unalienable rights.

In this case, the behaviors encouraged by the Bible have actually resulted in children that were spared the angst and health debilities of growing up too early in brave new progressive world. We need to take this lesson to heart and let it guide out actions as we move forward.

We are dealing with a movement much like Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union. Both sought to replace belief and trust in God with trust and allegiance to the state. While the Soviets pushed the atheistic philosophy more aggressively, they both saw the state a supreme. We are facing an American government that is increasingly hostile to religion… at least Christianity… and building an infrastructure to encompass every area of our life and meet all our needs.

This most recent revelation needs to take us one (or more) steps closer to understanding that academics, like government function better as our servants instead of our masters. We need education and we need government, yet as we view the constitution and read our founder fathers, we see that both were instituted to preserve rather than restrict our freedoms… to enhance and complement rather than destroy our way of life and values.

We have an administration infested with more academicians and moderated by fewer real people with real world experience and wisdom than any before it in the history of our country. Those of us lacking Ivy League credentials are looked down upon by those with them and our standards are devalued by those who feel they are better than us poor, bitter dummies who cling to our guns and our god. It is time to stop this catering to vocal, pompous minority that feels they have the right to set the national course for all of us… no matter what we say. After all, we are just a slobbering mass of inferiority.

We have the numbers and we have the passion to stop this. Do we have the courage to see it through? Are we going to do the heavy lifting and make the sacrifices to reclaim our freedom and our country? The answer had jolly well better be a resounding “YES!’

Dr. Bernard Nathanson once headed America’s largest abortion clinic in New York City. He admitted superintending over the killing of 75,000 unborn babies. He later recanted his pro-abortion activity and wrote what may be the quintessential book defending an unborn child’s right to life, “Aborting America.” Dr. Nathanson said, “There is no longer serious doubt in my mind that human life exists within the womb from the very onset of pregnancy.”

Dr. Mildred Jefferson was a surgeon at Boston University Medical Center, a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery with many honors and awards. She said, “Many people try to hide behind the confusion of not knowing what happens before a baby is born. But we do not have to be confused. We in medicine and science have a different name for every stage of the development of the baby, but it does not matter at all whether you know those names or not. When a young woman has not had much opportunity to go to school and she becomes pregnant, no one has to tell her that she is going to have a baby.

“I became a doctor in the tradition that is represented in the Bible of looking upon medicine as a high calling. I will not stand aside and have this great profession of mine, of the doctor, give up the designation of healer to become that of the social executioner. The Supreme Court Justices only had to hand down an order. Social workers only have to make arrangements, but it has been given to my profession to destroy the life of the innocent and the helpless.

“Today it is the unborn child; tomorrow it is likely to be the elderly or those who are incurably ill. Who knows but that a little later it may be anyone who has political or moral views that do not fit into the distorted new order. To that question, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ I answer ‘Yes.’ It is everyone’s responsibility to safeguard and preserve life. A child is a member of the human family and deserves care and concern.”

How many physicians, scientists, teachers, pastors, missionaries, statesmen, musicians, businessmen, and notable contributors to society have been murdered in the womb?

At this point, I can hear someone interrupting, “What about cases involving rape or incest?”

While these cases number less than 1% of pregnancies, consider this case history: a 12-year-old girl was raped and became pregnant. “Get an abortion,” you say? Congratulations. You just killed Ethel Waters.

And as Dr. Jefferson said, just where does the acceptance of abortion lead? If we listen to the former governor of Colorado, Richard Lamm, elderly people who are terminally ill have a “duty to die and get out of the way.” (Source: New York Times)

And does anyone remember Baby Doe in Bloomington, Indiana?

A little baby was born April 9, 1982, with Down’s Syndrome in a Bloomington, Indiana, hospital. The parents refused to allow a doctor to correct a defect in the esophagus that prevented eating because the child was born with Down’s. The Indiana Supreme Court upheld the parents’ right to make this decision. Despite many couples on hand willing to adopt the child, adoption offers that came in from all over America, and an appeal pursued to the U.S. Supreme Court, Baby Doe died of starvation on April 15, 1982.

Add to this blatant disrespect for human life the potential for mandated government-run national health care–complete with cost-related rationing–and one can only imagine how the value of human life will continue to decline in these United States. Plus, if you want to do some personal research that will really send chills up your spine, start investigating the fact that many scientists and researchers are seriously discussing genetic manipulation and genetic engineering. Good grief! Our own government and military are already culpable in grotesque medical experimentation with both civilian and military personnel.

Our own Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has admitted to using military personnel as human guinea pigs for medical, biological, and mental experimentation under various programs associated with the now-infamous title, MK-ULTRA. CIA officials say the programs have all been scrapped. Don’t you believe it.

In addition, consider the testimony of Dr. Carolyn Gerster, a physician specializing in internal medicine and cardiopulmonary diseases. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland. She spent two years as a medical officer in the US Army.

Dr. Gerster told Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum, “I was asked to become a member of the American College of Physicians many years ago. It’s any honorary society of internal medicine. I was very proud right up until the day that the society gave the James D. Bruce Award for Medical Research to Dr. Saul Krugman for the following experiment. Dr. Krugman had taken living hepatitis virus MS2 and injected this living virus into 25 retarded children in Willowbrook Home for Retarded in upstate New York. This was defended on the basis that they would probably get the hepatitis virus anyway.”

Consider, too, that, contrary to what most people assume, the vast majority of physicians graduating from medical school today no longer take a Hippocratic-type oath–an oath that binds physicians to the following: “I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone. I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary [medical device] to cause an abortion.”

As Schaeffer and Koop pointed out in their book, “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” “The Declaration of Geneva (adopted in September 1948 by the General Assembly of the World Medical Organization and modeled closely on the Hippocratic Oath) became used as the graduation oath by more and more medical schools. It includes: ‘I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception.’ This concept of the preservation of human life has been the basis of the medical profession and society in general. It is significant that when the University of Pittsburgh changed from the Hippocratic Oath to the Declaration of Geneva in 1971, the students deleted ‘from the time of conception’ from the clause.”

Today, the ageless principles that had guided the medical profession throughout Western Civilization have been expunged from a majority of our physicians’ training and practice. And the Roe Supreme Court decision had much to do with this.

What is especially irritating about the whole abortion debate is the way the subject has been used as a political football by those on both the right and the left of the political aisle. While the national Democratic Party proudly touts itself as being “pro-choice,” (meaning, pro-murdering unborn babies), it has been the so-called “pro-life” Republican Party that is mostly to blame for legalized abortion being left as the law of the land for nearly 4 decades.

Think of it: the GOP has dominated US Supreme Court appointments for the 37 years since the Roe decision. In fact, the 1973 court that released the Roe decision was a Republican-appointed court by a 6-3 margin. The same GOP-dominated court also rendered the Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decision reaffirming Roe.

Consider still: the “pro-life” Republican Party controlled the entire federal government from the election of 2000 to the election of 2006: six long years of GOP domination of both houses of Congress, the White House, and the US Supreme Court. And in all that time not one single unborn baby’s life was saved. NOT ONE!

And, yet, each year, Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) would introduce the Sanctity of Life bill. And each year, the bill would sit in the document room of the Capitol Building and gather dust. What would Rep. Paul’s bill do? Two things: (1) It would define unborn babies as persons under the law. (2) Under the authority of Article. III. Section. 2. of the US Constitution, it would remove abortion from the jurisdiction of the court. Had the “pro-life” Republican congress passed Dr. Paul’s bill, and the “pro-life” President, G. W. Bush, signed it into law, Roe v. Wade would have been effectively overturned.

So, why didn’t President Bush trumpet the bill? Where was the Republican leader in the Senate? Where was the Republican Speaker of the House? Where was Orrin Hatch? Where was John McCain? Where was Lindsey Graham? Where was Glenn Beck? Where was Rush Limbaugh? Where was Newt Gingrich? Where was Sean Hannity? Where was the National Right to Life Committee? Where were the tens of thousands of “pro-life” pastors and Christians?

And, yet, these same “pro-life” pastors, church members, and “conservatives” refused to support Congressman Paul for President in 2008, because he was not “conservative” enough. Actually, they opposed him because he opposed the war in Iraq, which means they would rather support a politician who promotes taking America into unconstitutional wars–but who will do nothing to overturn Roe and save the lives of unborn babies–than support a man who demands that the Constitution be followed, and actually had a constitutional plan to overturn Roe and end abortion-on-demand as a national “right.” No wonder Jesus noted that unbelievers often have it over believers in the brains department. (See Luke 16:8.)

I remind you that preserving life and liberty is the primary purpose of government (read the Declaration of Independence, for example). At this point, however, I think it is safe to conclude that to pretend there is any hope that Washington politicians (from either party) will do anything to overturn Roe is pure fantasy. At this point, it is up to State legislatures and governors to preserve life in their respective states. Several states are already beginning to do just that.

According to Fox News a few years back, 30 states were poised to pass laws outlawing abortion if and when the US Supreme Court ever reversed its Roe v. Wade decision. What they need to do is stop waiting for the US Supreme Court to reverse itself, and go ahead and stand on their own State authority and autonomy, and outlaw abortion in their states now, as legislators in South Dakota, Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia are already attempting to do.

Legalized abortion is a national holocaust; an affront to our national character; a contradiction of established principles subscribed to from the beginning of Western Civilization; an insult to the principles of our Declaration of Independence; a bane of our national spirit; and a stench in the nostrils of Almighty God. That we have allowed it to continue for 37 years now stands as an indictment against this generation of Americans and bodes ominously for the well-being of our posterity.

For more from Chuck Baldwin go to http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com

However, his work against slavery in Britain is often cited (by incrementalists) as proof that “incrementalism works.” This claim not only mistakes the lesson we should take from his astonishing life, but also denigrates the true values that he held dear – those based upon a conviction in the God-given Rights to Life and Freedom.

The growing Personhood Wing of the pro-life movement holds that “any law which says ‘do this, and then you can kill the baby (or own the slave)’” is an evil regulation Christians should never support. Did Wilberforce support such laws during his nearly half-century of crusading? Yes. Have many sincere pro-lifers done so, even those who now support Personhood? Yes. The problem is not the person – it’s the naïve, emotional position they hold for a time.

Most supporters of Personhood once supported laws such as the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, or waiting periods. Some didn’t, but they are few. The intellectual path from incrementalism to abolitionism is a long, hard one. We can’t condemn someone for not “getting the concept” right away. All we can do is ask them to consider, and to learn.

A study of William Wilberforce shows he always held that slavery was absolutely wrong. He first stated his anti-slavery goal in 1789. “I from this time determined that I would never rest till I had effected its abolition.” Every year, thereafter, for several years, he ran the same bill – an absolute end to the slave trade.

Discouraged (like many pro-lifers), he began trying incremental compromises such as registering slaves, regulating the number of slaves who could be on a slave ship, or prohibiting British slavers from trading with French colonies – laws which implicitly legitimized slaveowning, even while trying to reduce its misery, or prevalence. Was this an improvement? Debatable. Did the reduced misery of slaves, lessen public interest in ending the practice entirely, among some at least? Very likely. The abolitionists had a strong argument – that the slaves were being inhumanely mistreated – yet they reduced its potency through regulation.

In fact, it was often the slaveholders who advocated laws to improve the conditions of slaves! A document on slavery at http://www.guyana.org/ reports, “Sugar planters in Guyana and the Caribbean and their political and financial backers in Britain were not yet ready for the final abolition of slavery. They decided that it would be better to support legislation to improve the physical, moral and religious conditions of the slaves.” These bills were called “Amelioration Laws,” yet in reality, they only continued the suffering. Likewise, Wilberforce’s nemesis Henry Dundas stymied the anti-slavery movement by stipulating “gradual abolition,” only prolonging it.

Do we want to “ameliorate” abortion? Or do we want to end it? As the craven interests of the slaveholders proves, these are not one and the same path toward abolition!

We must be discriminating when evaluating whether a measure is “compromised incrementalism” (one step forward, two steps back), or positive incrementalism. If Wilberforce’s limit on the number of slaves per ship had instead simply regulated the number of people on board, then it would have accomplished its goal without tacitly approving of slavery. Similarly, if his registration bill had specified that every laborer, paid or unpaid, must be reported.

An uncompromised law today might make it criminal to perform any surgical treatment on a minor without parental notification, accomplishing one positive goal of pro-lifers without the tragedy of authorizing murder of the innocent in law.

Was Wilberforce an incrementalist because he wanted to end the slave trade first, and slavery itself later? No. In a letter from 1797, Wilberforce urged Prime Minister William Pitt to revoke a contract requiring Britain to provide Spain with African slaves. This highlights the point that the slave trade and slave ownership were different parts of the same problem. Even had Wilberforce successfully banned slave ownership in British territories, he would have had to ban the slave trade too, to prevent massive British involvement in promoting slavery elsewhere. Therefore, he cannot be blamed for not trying to simultaneously ban both. Taking on one or the other was commendable. Furthermore, there is nothing inherently wrong with banning the slave trade as an isolated goal because, like banning taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, a law which would end such trade or funding would not necessarily affirm any rights to do evil, and therefore would not either promote the murder or ownership of people, nor undermine the argument that all men deserve life and freedom.

Did slavery, which persisted for 26 years after the end of the British slave trade, linger because abolitionists had fought the brutality of the trade, rather than focusing on teaching people that slavery is inherently wrong? Wilberforce became convinced it was so. In Eric Metaxas’ Wilberforce biography, Amazing Grace, he notes that Wilberforce became disenchanted with the incremental method, feeling it was counterproductive. He had hoped incremental improvements would lead inherently to emancipation. “But now, in 1818, it could be seen that this hope had been naïve. So once again, the course was clear: immediate emancipation by political means.”

Today, we have the benefit of this lesson, and similar lessons from the United States’ abolition movement, to show us the superiority of principle over compromise. We must not reject these lessons of history!

The ultimate proof of Wilberforce’s commitment is his stand on abolition in the United States. Near the end of his life, an incremental anti-slavery society (a “colonization” faction) was able to secure Wilberforce’s endorsement by leading him to believe they were for an absolute end to slavery in America. However, the American absolutist William Lloyd Garrison arrived in England soon after, and explained the relative positions of anti-slavery societies to Wilberforce. He was greatly angered, revoked his earlier statement, and publicized an endorsement of Garrison instead.

Lest someone argue that Wilberforce’s chosen strategy for America was due to greater prospects of success, it is a fact that slavery remained strong in the United States, and was nowhere near abolition at that time (1833). There were many U.S. anti-slavery groups whose positions were less absolute than Garrison’s. But, no matter the difficulty of the road, at the end of his life Wilberforce preferred principle over compromise.

Surely, it can be argued that Wilberforce was an incrementalist at times. Wilberforce was led by his heart, and supported measures that would regulate slavery. We all face this temptation with regard to abortion.

By the end of his life, Wilberforce had become a staunch absolute abolitionist. Arguments that he is the poster boy of the “compromised incrementalist” movement are specious and unfair. When, with all his experience, Wilberforce had a chance to do it over again, he counseled against compromise. He preferred absolute abolition in the United States, not an incremental strategy.

You can read more by Bob Kyffin at http://kyffsnotes.blogspot.com

(reprinted from the CRTL Newsletter Summer 2008)

So concludes the Manhattan Declaration, penned in part by Chuck Colson and signed by 152 Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical church leaders. The list of signatures reads like a Who’s Who of the Christian world. What these courageous men and women have done is to take their beliefs outside of the confines of the church and into the real world where they can make an impact in our society. In some ways we can thank the current administration for the slap in the face that woke up both the tea party people and, now, the religious leaders. Prior to this time, our country had been drifting toward destruction… now we are rushing headlong to the end of our country as we know it.

Below, I’ve included some excerpts that convey the concerns and spirit of the document. You can read the complete declaration and list of signers at http://tinyurl.com/ykrmek4

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“While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including a special concern for the poor and vulnerable, claims our attention, we are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions.

“Although public sentiment has moved in a pro-life direction, we note with sadness that pro-abortion ideology prevails today in our government. The present administration is led and staffed by those who want to make abortions legal at any stage of fetal development, and who want to provide abortions at taxpayer expense.

“We will be united and untiring in our efforts to roll back the license to kill that began with the abandonment of the unborn to abortion. We will work, as we have always worked, to bring assistance, comfort, and care to pregnant women in need and to those who have been victimized by abortion, even as we stand resolutely against the corrupt and degrading notion that it can somehow be in the best interests of women to submit to the deliberate killing of their unborn children. Our message is, and ever shall be, that the just, humane, and truly Christian answer to problem pregnancies is for all of us to love and care for mother and child alike.

“We confess with sadness that Christians and our institutions have too often scandalously failed to uphold the institution of marriage and to model for the world the true meaning of marriage. Insofar as we have too easily embraced the culture of divorce and remained silent about social practices that undermine the dignity of marriage we repent, and call upon all Christians to do the same.

“No one has a civil right to have a non-marital relationship treated as a marriage. Marriage is an objective reality – a covenantal union of husband and wife – that it is the duty of the law to recognize and support for the sake of justice and the common good. If it fails to do so, genuine social harms follow. First, the religious liberty of those for whom this is a matter of conscience is jeopardized. Second, the rights of parents are abused as family life and sex education programs in schools are used to teach children that an enlightened understanding recognizes as “marriages” sexual partnerships that many parents believe are intrinsically non-marital and immoral. Third, the common good of civil society is damaged when the law itself, in its critical pedagogical function, becomes a tool for eroding a sound understanding of marriage on which the flourishing of the marriage culture in any society vitally depends.  Sadly, we are today far from having a thriving marriage culture.  But if we are to begin the critically important process of reforming our laws and mores to rebuild such a culture, the last thing we can afford to do is to re-define marriage in such a way as to embody in our laws a false proclamation about what marriage is.

“As Christians, we take seriously the Biblical admonition to respect and obey those in authority. We believe in law and in the rule of law. We recognize the duty to comply with laws whether we happen to like them or not, unless the laws are gravely unjust or require those subject to them to do something unjust or otherwise immoral. The biblical purpose of law is to preserve order and serve justice and the common good; yet laws that are unjust – and especially laws that purport to compel citizens to do what is unjust – undermine the common good, rather than serve it.”

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Some have already criticized this action as an attempt to impose religions values on society… as if imposing atheistic / pagan values were somehow morally superior. The detractors believe that a society that tolerates no Christian input is better than a Christian society that accepts everyone. We have been silent for far to long. Our leaders have been silent for far to long. That is changing!

We are glad to have these leaders join the fight to regain the freedom our founding fathers intended for us… the freedom our country enjoyed for many years. We need to thank them and support them. During the Johnson administration, the IRS began scrutinizing churches who engaged in speech critical of the President. Since then, churches have been threatened with loss of tax exempt status and imposition of hefty fines and penalties if they continued speaking against government actions. Part of supporting these leaders involves standing by them should this tactic be used again… keeping in mind that the purpose of a religious organization is NOT to be tax exempt. It’s nice, but not the reason for it’s existence. Support and encourage those who would place their position, freedom and finances at risk to stand up for what is right… expecially if you are one us that is also doing it.

The same lack of concern for the demise of the innocents was shown to the death of the protester himself. The press and most pundits acted as if the man’s passing was little more than a footnote if they mentioned it at all… and if they did mention it, it was to infer that the man had most likely brought it upon himself. Barack Hussein Obama, who had a firm opinion about Professor Gates, definite thougths about Kanye West and expressed his distress when George Tiller, the man responsible for the destruction of thousands of unborn infants, was shot while ushering in his church had nothing to say, either about the act of violence or as comfort to the victim’s family. Was he unconcerned or should it be construed as implied consent?

The reaction of the state media should not be surprising considering that those inside the media bubble believe Tiller was indeed the hero for helping women rid themselves of their troublesome offspring, and people like Pouillon were gnat-like nuisances in implementing their elitist, narcissistic vision of utopia. Most modern “journalists” fail to see these children as gifts from God, and have no problem with someone zapping them out of earthly existence if they are personally inconvenient.

Spokesmen Catholic and evangelical church groups were quick to honor Jim Pouillon as a martyr for the pro-life cause, yet this were not the the only “religious” view. For instance, the Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita KS, not only failed to take a stand against the the brutality of late term abortions, but actually permitted Dr. Tiller to represent them as an usher the Sunday of his death.

This is just one of many churches throughout our land that have forsaken the Biblical mandate to look after the welfare of the weakest among us. They have become what was described in the book of Second Timothy:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

So we find ourselves at a point we see all too often, some churches and church leaders loosing sight of their God-given purpose and becoming part of the problem rather than providing the salt and light they were designed to give. Even the Apostle Paul comments in some of his letters about those who had fallen away from the faith back in his time.

We have seen the unique version of liberation theology preached by Rev. Wright that looses sight of the eternal values and concentrates on real and perceived temporal offenses. It is when leaders like these take the short term view and forsake transcendent values that they wander away from the book that tells us to stand up for the fatherless, protect widows and orphans and that for a man to lie with another man as a woman is an abomination… which is why we see some church groups are bending to the culture and ordaining homosexual clergy and supporting the aborting of God’s creations.

In spite of what some modern theologians, including one I sat through in college would like us to think, none of us are given the luxury of picking and choosing what parts of the Christian life we want to live while rejecting the rest of the teachings. We cannot help what is done in such churches, but each of us can, and must, take care that we do not fall into the same traps many apparently sincere seekers have been led into.

By honoring the work of Jim Pouillon we not only endorse the truth he was attempting to convey, we remind ourselves to stay on the right track and maintain our own pursuit of the truth.

While times have changed, principles have not. Former Attorney General McDonnell may express himself differently these days, but I would hope the ideals of the young student have not changed significantly. Instead of defending ideas that have broad appeal in the normally red state of Virginia, RPV Chairman Pat Mullins issued a statement complaining that Mr. Deeds has introduced divisive social issues into the campaign. One has to wonder if this is the milquetoast leadership the party insiders were looking for when they ousted Jeff Frederick from the position and replaced him with Mullins a few weeks before this summer’s convention in Richmond. A recent Rasmussen poll shows that 74% of Republicans believe that their congressional representatives have lost touch with the voters. Is it much of a stretch to believe the same of party leaders as well?

The Republican candidate, who is a good man and has compiled a strong conservative record during his years in the General Assembly, is now running as a jobs and energy moderate… not that there is anything wrong with either issue. They are about making a living… not a life. As this is written, McDonnell is up by seven points over Deeds… down from double digits a few weeks ago. Unfortunately it appears that his political gurus are working to mellow him down the same road of defeat that they showed previous candidates for this position, Jerry Kilgore and Mark Earley.

Further evidence of the emasculation of the party in the Old Dominion came to light when House of Delegates candidate Catherine Craybill had the audacity to say “We have the chance to fight this battle at the ballot box, before we have to resort to the bullet box. But that’s the beauty of the Second Amendment right. I am glad for all of us that we can enjoy the use of firearms for hunting, but make no mistake. That was NOT the intent of the Founding Fathers. Our Second Amendment rights was to guard against tyranny.”

Again the official party and candidates are running for cover. The RPV Chairman going so far as to deny any support to the candidate and suggesting she would not be the best one to run for the office. Imagine what they would do if Patrick Henry returned and gave his “give me liberty or give me death” speech that we admire so much two hundred thirty some years in the past.

Republicans have lost favor with the voters because they have talked a good game but failed to live up the their espoused values. We see here two opportunities to show there is substance to the party and candidates, but we see the party and so many candidates rushing to the mushy middle.

Consultants will tell us that roughly 40% of the voters will be on one side and 40% on the other. The battle, therefore, is for the 20% in the middle. The conventional wisdom that has been failing the Republicans in recent years is that to win these votes, you have to look and sound like the people in the middle… thus loosing the support and respect of your base. What Ronald Reagan did was to explain the conservative position so effectively that those in this middle ground understood and came along. This is the way to deal with independent voters!

When will the party of Reagan learn that it was principled stands that brought it to power and that deserting these values led to defeat. We are faced with an administration in Washington audaciously sticking its nose in many areas constitutionally ceded to the states at a rate many times faster than that of any previous administrations. We need bold leadership to stand up to it, not timid politicians afraid to take a position.

Victory or defeat, that is the choice. It seems that no one appears to remember what George Santayana told us, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Republicans have the choice to stand unapologetically on the conservative values people expect and respect or they can hide in the bushes and watch while the country falls apart around them.

The only saving grace for the Republicans may be the stench the Democrats have become in the nostrils of a significant block of voters. While many of us are looking for anything that will put a crimp in Obama administration’s expansion at this point, the danger is that winning with this strategy will condemn the Republican Party and the country to an even longer string of so-called moderate, ineffective candidates to oppose the downright socialist, if not fascist machinations of the Democratic Party.

The best hope is that the candidate for Attorney General, Senator Ken Cuccinelli, leads the ticket on election day, showing that a true conservative, running on conservative principles, particularly from the liberal bastion of northern Virginia, can attract more support than candidates running on a Democrat lite platform.

I spent the last two days fasting. On day two I listened to worship music all day as I cleaned house. I kept my heart focused on the Lord’s presence. I went to bed exhausted and fell fast asleep but only for a short while. Something was stirring in my spirit. I woke up about three hours later and received this word from the Lord.

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Arise, My people! Bring forth the full force of the power I have placed within you.
I am calling My army forth. I am strengthening My people for the days ahead. The enemy knows his time is very short but he is on a short leash and he and his minions are no match for My army.

Oh, sure he is giving it all he has got but it will not overcome My true warriors. I have stationed My champions at all strategic points throughout this nation and all the nations of My universe.

My people are loaded for bear and it is time for them to arise and cause the enemy to shudder. It’s time to push back the curtain of darkness and the assault of fear on My people. My army is not for wimps.

It’s time to bruise the enemy’s head. He has been playing head games with My people long enough. He won’t stop until I finally cast him into the lake of fire for eternity, but it’s time for My sleeping giant to arise and scatter the enemy forces.

My people are coming forth in great power and demonstration of My glory. It will take the enemy by surprise for I am stirring up all the gifts I have placed in My people. It will create quite an extraordinary cosmic fireworks display.

The foundation has been laid in continual solid prayer power. Without it – nothing happens. I do nothing that has not been bathed in prayer. When I walked this earth I only did what I saw and heard the Father do. I expect nothing less from My people. It’s how I communicate with My people and My ears have not grown slack throughout all the ages. I hear the cries and concerns of My people and I expect them to listen to Me and follow My orders.

Next I have My prophets who inform My people of what I am doing and going to do. I give them a heads up so they can speak out on My behalf. Not everyone will hear, honor, and obey what I say through them but it is enough for Me to work My plan through.

Of course I have My pastors, preachers, teachers, and evangelists to carry on the important work of equipping My saints, but I am launching a full body assault through a surprise element – My everyday saints -  common ordinary people who I have designed to do extraordinary things. My power and authority I have given you, backed by the never ending power of the blood of Jesus. You have My Word. Speak Him out and you flesh Him out with My DNA that runs through your body. Wherever you go you take me.

You take Me on the battleground. You take Me into the workplace, the marketplace, the schoolhouse, the White House. You are stationed in families, communities, and nations. You are stationed in political offices and medical labs. In factories and playhouses. You are stationed in every conceivable place and position on earth. In high places and low places. In visible places and not so visible places.

I have stationed you in perfect places where each of you will make a unique difference because I am with you and in you and all around you making it possible for My glory to shine. This is My church’s finest hour. I have set you on a hill to give off light to a darkened world. Arise and pour out your gifts in full strength and power. Do it by My Spirit. I am calling My people to arise and display in manifold witness the full range of My creative power within each believer.

To Me, creativity is a manner of solving problems – of finding needs and filling them. I have hidden treasures about to be unloaded, so much so, that it will take the world by surprise. Those stumbling around in the dark will know there is one true God and Jehovah is My name.

I am ready to show forth in medical and scientific labs with cures for diseases and maladies to man. I’m coming forth with creative solutions to economic disasters. The hand of greed will be considerably weakened by the hand of generosity. This will come through My true worshippers, but it will also come through unexpected sources whose hands I will direct.

I am showing up in mainstream media and entertainment in a very grandiose way. My river of life is coming through and it will have My stamp of approval all over it. I will show up in song – in new songs that will capture the hearts and attention of those wandering around in the dark with no purpose or direction. The music industry is ripe for change and a full harvest for My glory. The movies and media are being successfully infiltrated with a new wave of holiness and purity in My name.

I’m raising up true patriots for God who will make a mark for Me that cannot be erased. I am showing up for good and a godly influence on the internet. There was a purpose I put all those social networking tools in place through myspace, facebook, twitter, linkedin, and such. Now My wave of righteousness can take the world by storm and spread like wild fire just like it did for
President Obama’s election campaign.

And you will be surprised what I will do with the youth of all ages. They are more than eager to make their mark and it will be counted for My righteousness. This is a holy war and I am causing My army of all ages to rise and be counted.

I am changing the face of business as usual, of ministry as usual, of politics as usual, of school as usual! I am not an ordinary God and I am orchestrating My people to step up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park. It’s a new day and a new way to play – according to My rules.

I am the God of My Word. My Word rocks and rules and I am awakening My people for My game plan. And by the way, I am showing up in the gaming industry also. And TV is getting a new face. It’s time to tell the vision – My vision – on tell a vision. It’s all by the book – My good news.

I’m calling all writers too. There has never been a greater time to get My Word out in every conceivable form and format. Words are containers and they carried the most powerful dynamite ever known to man – the living Word, Jesus the Christ, My Anointed One and His Anointing.

I have smeared My Anointing on My people. Now go forth in the uttermost parts of this universe and show up and show out for My glory. It’s time! Move out and make the difference I have invested in you to give. It’s My gift to the world through each and every one of you.

I have blessed you with My own hand when I created you. I have given you My Word and sealed it by the blood of My Son. You have My grace, My Anointing, My presence, and My Holy Spirit. There is no lack! There is no more time for excuses. Arise and go forth, My people. Show up in My name and watch Me show out for you!  You are the apple of My eye. Arise and shine and go in My love and in My name. I will cover a multitude of sins and transform the face of the earth.